News

King County ExecutiveDow Constantine

King County offers additional emergency shelter and day center in preparation for winter storm

February 8, 2019

Summary

King County Department of Community and Human Services will offer 50 additional emergency shelter beds at its Jefferson Day Center located in downtown Seattle during the winter storm. That brings the total number of emergency beds available to 300.

Story

King County is making an additional 50 shelter beds available at its Jefferson Day Center in downtown Seattle starting Friday night through Monday morning in preparation for the winter storm, bringing the total number of available beds to 300.

The King County Administration Building will be open at 7 a.m. Sunday to provide an additional day center after a strong response to the new Jefferson Day Center. The additional day center at the Administration Building is a partnership between King County, the City of Seattle, and the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle.

Here are the locations of King County shelters and day centers in downtown Seattle:

Jefferson Day CenterAddress: 420 4th Ave., Seattle, WA 98104
Capacity: 100 beds available for men and their pets, which includes 50 beds available year-round and 50 beds available during winter emergencies

King County Administration Building
Address: 500 4th Ave., Seattle, WA 98104
Capacity: 100 beds available for men, which includes 50 beds available year-round and 50 beds available during winter emergencies

King County Department of Community and Human Services opened the Jefferson Day Center on Jan. 31 to offer a safe, warm place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for adults experiencing homelessness. The staff offers a cup of coffee, snacks, showers, laundry, on-site case management, and connections to housing and employment services in addition to shelter upstairs.

Outreach teams funded by King County and the City of Seattle are out meeting with people who are experiencing homelessness to encourage them to come inside during the winter storm. The King County Emergency Services Patrol is operating 24/7 during the weekend to help people who are living on the streets in downtown Seattle.